The subject matter herein relates generally to electrical connectors having terminal position assurance.
Electrical connectors may be carrier-style electrical connectors that typically include a carrier that receives terminals of a wire harness, and a housing that receives the carrier. Carrier-style electrical connectors may be used in harsh environments, such as automotive applications, in which the electrical connectors are subject to vibration and other forces that may tend to alter the position of the terminals relative to the connector.
In various applications of electrical connectors, devices are utilized to lock terminals in place within the connector and to assure that the terminals are in proper position within the connector, even when exposed to vibration and other harsh conditions. Typical carrier-style electrical connectors are designed for use with terminals having a metal locking lance or terminals that have two locking surfaces, with one for primary latching and another one for secondary latching. These designs exclude many types of terminals for use in carrier-style electrical connectors.
Certain electrical connectors include one or more terminal position assurance (TPA) elements. The TPA assures the terminal contacts are in proper position for electrically mating with mating contacts of a mating connector. For example, the TPA element may not allow the carrier to move to a final loaded position within the housing until a terminal is fully loaded in the carrier. In addition, the TPA element may be designed to hinder or block unintentional withdrawal of the terminals. In many connector designs, the TPA element is a separate, external device that locks onto the connector. The TPA element is entirely removable from the connector, and this aspect may, over time, compromise the integrity of the connector.
A need remains for a carrier style electrical connector having reliable primary latch reinforcement and assures proper terminal position within the electrical connector.